Where are they now? Ex-Twins in 2019

[Mike Sixel]

 

No one will want to pick up his salary.

 

Once he clears, the claiming team can pay him the minimum......

[RatherBeGolfing]

 

Fernando Rodney Experience was released by Oakland today. After leaving the Twins he couldn't find the strike zone. I wonder if he is willing to be fixed in AAA for a couple of weeks?

 

One could debate if Fernando could find the strike zone when he was with the Twins as well.

 

In all seriousness, I hope he lands on his feet somewhere because he's such a character and a fun storyline to have around.

[John Kelsey]

In what has mostly become a "we dodged a bullet there" thread, Eduardo Escobar is actually having a great year for the D Backs. Great to see him doing well. 

[Oldgoat_MN]

 

In what has mostly become a "we dodged a bullet there" thread, Eduardo Escobar is actually having a great year for the D Backs. Great to see him doing well. 

I was going to write up something about him. I really like that young man.

Specifically, he is hitting .290/.353/.561 (.914) as of this morning.

He is 4th in the NL in WAR by a shortstop.

 

Wish we still had him. 

[old nurse]

 

Once he clears, the claiming team can pay him the minimum......

Once he clears waivers there is no longer a claiming process. It becomes Rodney can choose which team to sign with. The signing team paying the minimum wage.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Once he clears waivers there is no longer a claiming process. It becomes Rodney can choose which team to sign with. The signing team paying the minimum wage.

 

that's what I meant, it was good to clarify my bad typing!

[nicksaviking]

 

JR Murphy was DFA'd by Arizona today. He's, uh, not done well since being traded for Moya.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murphjr01.shtml

 

Or prior!

[nicksaviking]

If the team was still running with Adams or DeJong, I actually would have been OK with kicking the tires on Rodney, mostly because if he would have regained his form, it would have been a fun kick in the teeth to the A's.

 

But as fine of a line as our no-name bullpen is walking, their current track record curries more faith than Rodney's old track record does. I'd guess currently Littell is at the top of the discard pile right now, and I'd rather see if he has what it takes to be part of the long-term solution to the pen.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I was going to write up something about him. I really like that young man.

Specifically, he is hitting .290/.353/.561 (.914) as of this morning.

He is 4th in the NL in WAR by a shortstop.

Escobar is having a great year, although he's been exclusively a third basemen (save for 1 game at second base).

[Doomtints]

 

JR Murphy was DFA'd by Arizona today. He's, uh, not done well since being traded for Moya.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murphjr01.shtml

 

Murphy was playing OK. Not great, but OK.

 

Has anyone mentioned whether he is easy to get along with? The Twins sent him packing awfully fast, as did the Yankees.

[Oldgoat_MN]

 

Escobar is having a great year, although he's been exclusively a third basemen (save for 1 game at second base).

I meant 3B and wrote shortstop.

Thanks for the correction.

[nicksaviking]

 

Murphy was playing OK. Not great, but OK.

 

Has anyone mentioned whether he is easy to get along with? The Twins sent him packing awfully fast, as did the Yankees.

 

He always looked smug to me.

 

But to be fair, I always picture him in a Yankees uniform (rounding the bases on a Perkins walk off HR) and everyone in a Yankees uniform looks smug.

[ashbury]

I was going to write up something about him. I really like that young man.

You must really be an old goat. That young man turned 30 this past January.

[Oldgoat_MN]

 

You must really be an old goat. That young man turned 30 this past January.

Yeah, that's what I said.

Young man.

I sure wouldn't want to be 30 again. I earned every year I've been here.

Often twice.

[Shaitan]

 

If the team was still running with Adams or DeJong, I actually would have been OK with kicking the tires on Rodney, mostly because if he would have regained his form, it would have been a fun kick in the teeth to the A's.

 

But as fine of a line as our no-name bullpen is walking, their current track record curries more faith than Rodney's old track record does. I'd guess currently Littell is at the top of the discard pile right now, and I'd rather see if he has what it takes to be part of the long-term solution to the pen.

Molitor would put him right back in the closer slot. Unless they picked up Belisle, again, that is.

[AlwaysinModeration]

 

Wow, what a fall for Ervin. He had the best ERA+ of his career in 2017... 

 

Back in the 2017 off-season I pulled up some comps for Ervin, concluding in that offseason, and then again at that trade deadline in July of 2017, while he was having a great year, that they needed to trade him as soon as possible:

 

Offseason before 2017 season:

• "Peavy pitched a 101 ERA+ at 33, then pitched two more years, 108 and 74 at age 34 and 35.
• Guthrie posted a 132 at age 33, then went 102-95-72, done at 36.
• Lohse posted 133 at age 33, then went 115-107-68, done at 36.
• Millwood posted 88 at 33, then 127-81-115-90, done at 37.
• Loiaza posted 108 at 33, then averaged 83 and was done at 36.
• Doug Davis (106ERA+ age 29-33) posted a 108 ERA+ at age 33, then bombed to 57 over the next two years, done at 35.
• Steve Traschel posted a 107, then posted 88 and 94 in his age 35 and 36 season, playing sporadically at age 34 and 37, done at 37.
• Miguel Batista posted a couple of 103/102 seasons as a starter after 33, and became a solid closer for some of those years, lasting until 40.
• Javier Vasquez posted 81 and 106 in his age 33 and 34 seasons and then retired.
• Brad Radke, who posted a 110 ERA+ from age 29-33 posted a 104 at age 33, and then was done.

Finally, Ervin Santana pitched a 124 ERA at age 33, with a 101 ERA+ from age 29-33 (including years of 74 and 90 in that stretch.). He's headed toward his rapid decline phase, although he might post another 100+ year or maybe two if he is lucky. He also has a history with PEDs, which may have helped him more in the past than going forward. The Twins should trade him for whatever they can get."

 

July, 2017:  "I stick by that assessment. He's been good this year. He won't be good for long. Trade him now."

 

Epilogue:  He posted an ERA+ of 135 in 2017, and helped the Twins get to the WC game (and then bombed out in NY in that game).  Since then, ERA + of 54 and 48.

 

It was quite the fall....but it was pretty easy to spot that coming.

 

[lecroy24fan]

Fernando Rodney signing a minor league deal with the Nationals.

[DiscGolfer]

I don't miss Rodney's blown saves and walk offs allowed 

[AlwaysinModeration]

Fernando Rodney signing a minor league deal with the Nationals.

Yikes—THAT’S what the Nats bullpen needs!

[Vanimal46]

[Otto von Ballpark]

https://twitter.com/FinneyBlake/status/1136823617197629440?s=19

Dozier is up from a 64 wRC+ then to a 92 season wRC+ now.

[Doctor Wu]

Against all odds ... the return of Tommy Milone to MLB. Now pitching for Seattle. He pitched 5.1 innings yesterday, gave up 1 run (a homer!) and 3 hits, had 1 walk, and 1 K,

[stringer bell]

 

I confess to being a big Dozier fan. I still check his line in the box score at least a couple times a week. He is very comparable to Schoop, both have home run power as their calling card. I'm guessing that by midseason, Schoop and Dozier will have similar numbers.

[Mr. Brooks]

I confess to being a big Dozier fan. I still check his line in the box score at least a couple times a week. He is very comparable to Schoop, both have home run power as their calling card. I'm guessing that by midseason, Schoop and Dozier will have similar numbers.

What numbers, and how close is similar? Because I'll take that bet. If for no other reason than because he just has so much ground to make up.

 

And Dozier is one of my all time favorite Twins, so I'm not trying to disparage him.

[stringer bell]

 

What numbers, and how close is similar? Because I'll take that bet. If for no other reason than because he just has so much ground to make up.

And Dozier is one of my all time favorite Twins, so I'm not trying to disparage him.

OPS, OPS+, home runs. I'd just say similar, probably in the same quartile for qualifying second baseman. Dozier's current OPS is .731, his OPS+ is 88 and he has 9 homers. Schoop's OPS is .804, OPS+ is 111 and he has 11 homers. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

What numbers, and how close is similar? Because I'll take that bet. If for no other reason than because he just has so much ground to make up.

It's still pretty easy to make up ground at this point in the season. Dozier is still about 73 OPS points behind Schoop, or 18 points of wRC+, but Dozier's OPS has gone up 71 points and his wRC+ 17 points in just the last 5 games (14 PA, 6 H, 2 HR, 1 2B, 2 BB, 1 HBP). Obviously that's a pretty good 5 games, but it shows what a mini hot streak can do to one's overall numbers.

 

Of course, Schoop could go higher too (although he seems to be stabilizing?), and midseason is just a month a way. I wouldn't bet on Dozier to catch Schoop by then, but they could get close. Dozier's career numbers are still ahead of Schoop, 107 wRC+ to 98, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him gain ground.

[Mr. Brooks]

OPS, OPS+, home runs. I'd just say similar, probably in the same quartile for qualifying second baseman. Dozier's current OPS is .731, his OPS+ is 88 and he has 9 homers. Schoop's OPS is .804, OPS+ is 111 and he has 11 homers.

I'd have to imagine that there can be pretty wide margins within a given quartile, at second base.

I don't think he'll get within, say 10 points of OPS. But, on second thought, I don't think I'll bet against Dozier, he can certainly go on some pretty good extended runs.

[stringer bell]

I really don't want to sidetrack this thread further, but I'll say this, I'm not saying Schoop is better or worse than Dozier and if there is a conversation about that, it shouldn't be in this thread.

[Otto von Ballpark]

An ex-Twins pitcher from the other Jaime Garcia trade (Huascar Ynoa) just made his MLB debut this past Sunday, with two scoreless innings in a blowout.

 

Ynoa hasn't pitched particularly well in the minor leagues, but he sure has marched up the ladder this year -- he started the year in high-A!

[Twodogs]

Against all odds ... the return of Tommy Milone to MLB. Now pitching for Seattle. He pitched 5.1 innings yesterday, gave up 1 run (a homer!) and 3 hits, had 1 walk, and 1 K,

Teams can do worse than Tommy Milone as their #5 starter.